VILLAGERS have joined forces with Dorset Police to launch a new speed safety scheme.

Run by volunteers from the community, the Marshwood‬ community Speed Watch group is helping Dorset Road Safe and Dorset Police with monitoring the speed of traffic through the village.

PSCO Luke White from Lyme Regis Safer Neighbourhood Team helped set up the scheme and said it has already been popular, with 11 volunteers signing up and more wanting to join.

The development comes after Marshwood parents complained about road safety when school transport was withdrawn by Dorset County Council, leaving their children walking to school on a narrow road with no footpath.

Campaigners say speeding continues to be a problem in the village, and Dorset Police research conducted in July 2013 and October 2014 showed 15 per cent of drivers exceeded speeds of 40mph, with the maximum recorded speed being 72mph – despite the recently introduced 30mph speed limit on that road.

PSCO White said: “That is one reason people wanted to set this up, because most of them are parents whose children attend Marshwood Primary School.

“What they are hoping to do is show that the road is not safe for children. They want to see if there is any evidence to back up what they believe.”

Marshwood parish councillor Ali Edwards also helped coordinate the scheme and said: “Marshwood is a village and people live here so they need to slow down.

“The more we are out there the more people who don’t travel through Marshwood regularly will get that message.”

In the group’s first three sessions, 35 vehicles were caught speeding with one going 53mph, and the number of speeding drivers continues to increase.

Cllr Edwards added: “One of the reasons Dorset County Council withdrew the transport was that they said there were 50 cars passing through the village an hour, so it was safe.

“But we have been out there for about four and a half hours in total and counted about 126 cars an hour, which is considerably more than was has been reported by DCC. It’s definitely not as safe as they claim.”

PSCO White said any vehicle caught speeding will be reported to Dorset Police’s community safety department, who will issue a warning letter.

If it is recorded speeding for a second time, the driver will be visited by police officers, and if recorded for a third time the force would look at ‘taking further action’ against the individual.